Why Did the Greco-Persian Wars Begin?

Greek cities in western Asia Minor had come under Achaemenid rule after the Persian conquest of Lydia. In 499 BC the Ionian Revolt broke out. Athens and Eretria provided limited support, including participation in the attack on Sardis.

Persia eventually suppressed the revolt. Darius then launched expeditions into the Aegean world. In 490 BC a Persian force captured Eretria and landed at Marathon, where Athenians and Plataeans won the famous battle.

Xerxes, Thermopylae, Salamis, and Plataea

Darius died before mounting another invasion. His son Xerxes I led a much larger expedition into Greece in 480 BC. A Greek coalition attempted to hold the pass at Thermopylae while allied ships fought near Artemisium.

Leonidas and his Spartans became the most famous defenders of Thermopylae, but they were not alone. Thespians and Thebans were also present in the final phase; ancient accounts and modern interpretations differ over the circumstances of the Theban contingent.

After Thermopylae, Persian forces occupied and burned Athens. The Greek fleet then defeated the Persian fleet at Salamis. In 479 BC the allied Greeks defeated the main Persian army at Plataea, while Greek forces also won at Mycale in Asia Minor.

These victories ended the immediate invasion of mainland Greece, but they did not destroy the Achaemenid Empire. Persia remained a major power for more than a century afterward.

What Coins Were Used During the Greco-Persian Wars?

There was no single “Persian Wars coin.” A historically careful collection draws from Persian imperial coinage and the civic coinages of Greek states, with close attention to dating.

Achaemenid Silver Sigloi and Gold Darics

The gold daric and silver siglos are the most recognizable imperial Achaemenid denominations of this era. They commonly show the royal archer or king figure rather than a realistic portrait that can be securely identified as Darius I or Xerxes I.

These coins were especially important in the western parts of the empire and in state payments, military finance, and taxation. The Achaemenid economy was not uniform: local coinages, bullion, and other forms of payment continued across the empire. Darics and sigloi are therefore best described as major Achaemenid imperial coinage rather than a universal everyday currency used identically everywhere.

For a broader explanation of Persian money before and after the Achaemenids, see Ancient Persian Coins: A Beginner's Guide From Darics to Sasanian Drachms.

From the Kinzer Coins Collection

Kingdom of Persis Silver Hemidrachm (c. 223 BC–AD 200)

Silver from the Achaemenid heartland, centuries on: the kingdom of Persis kept Persian royal and religious identity alive long after Darius and Xerxes.

$140.00 View This Coin

Athenian Owl Tetradrachms

The Owl tetradrachm became one of the most famous currencies of the Greek world, but collectors should distinguish Persian-Wars-era Athenian coinage from the standardized Classical Owls commonly dated later in the fifth century BC.

The silver resources of Laurion were crucial to Athens. In the years before Xerxes' invasion, Themistocles persuaded the Athenians to direct exceptional mining revenue toward a large trireme fleet. That fleet became decisive at Salamis.

Laurion silver also underpinned Athenian coinage, but a typical Owl dated 449–413 BC belongs to Athens' later Classical imperial age, after Marathon, Thermopylae, and Salamis. Such a coin is historically connected to the Athens that emerged from the wars, not literally a coin of the 480–479 BC invasion.

For the denomination and its changing chronology, see The Athenian Owl Tetradrachm.

From the Kinzer Coins Collection

Athens Silver Tetradrachm, Classical Owl (449–413 BC)

The aftermath in silver: the Owl of the Athens that rose to maritime empire after Salamis, struck from the same Laurion silver that built the fleet.

$1,600.00 View This Coin

Aegina Turtle Staters

Aegina's silver turtle staters were among the important early Greek trade coinages. Their earliest chronology is debated, but they were established by the sixth century BC and circulated in the Aegean world before and during the Persian Wars era.

Other Greek Civic Coinages

Corinth, Thebes, and many other Greek communities issued their own coinage. The political story is equally varied: there was no single unified “Greek nation,” and some Greek states remained neutral or sided with Persia.

Was the Famous Classical Athenian Owl Used at Salamis?

You should not assume so. The familiar mass-produced Classical Owl types commonly encountered by collectors are often dated from the mid-fifth century BC, after the Persian invasions.

To describe an Owl as a Persian Wars coin, the specific type and chronology should overlap the early fifth century. A later 449–413 BC Owl is better described as a coin of Classical Athens or the Athenian Empire.

Can You Own a Coin of Darius or Xerxes?

Yes, in the sense that collectors can own Achaemenid darics and sigloi attributed within reigns or broad dynastic periods associated with these kings. But the royal archer design is an emblematic royal image, not normally a realistic portrait that can be identified facially as one individual king.

Precise classification by type can narrow chronology, so attribution should follow recognized specialist references rather than relying only on a generic “Darius/Xerxes” label.

Five Coin Types for a Greco-Persian Wars Collection

1. Achaemenid siglos: a practical silver representative of Persian imperial power.
2. Achaemenid daric: the prestigious gold denomination of the Great King, for a higher-budget collection.
3. Early-fifth-century Athenian silver: when securely dated to the Persian-Wars era.
4. Aegina turtle stater: representing the older Aegean trade world in which the wars unfolded.
5. Coinage of another participating Greek state: such as Corinth or another relevant regional issue, chosen with careful dating.

A later Classical Owl can still be included as an “aftermath” coin showing the Athens that rose to maritime dominance after the Persian invasions, but it should be labeled that way.

Frequently Asked Questions

Collecting Both Sides of the Greco-Persian Wars

A Persian siglos beside correctly dated Greek silver tells a richer story than treating the wars as a simple civilization-versus-civilization myth. The conflict involved an enormous multiethnic empire, independent Greek poleis with competing interests, and Greek communities on both sides.

Browse Greek coins or Persian and Eastern coins for collectible examples, and use the guides above to check chronology before assigning a coin to the Persian Wars.

Marathon, Thermopylae, Salamis. The money of both empires survived the war that made them legends.

History wasn't just written. It was minted.